In a landmark moment for engineering education in India, JEE (Advanced) 2026 has recorded its strongest ever performance by female candidates, with more than 10,000 girls qualifying for admission to the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) for the first time.
A total of 10,107 girls cleared one of the country’s toughest entrance examinations this year, registering a pass rate of 24.91 per cent, the highest female success rate in the history of JEE (Advanced).
The achievement is being viewed as a major milestone in efforts to improve gender representation in India’s premier engineering institutions.
Overall, 56,880 candidates qualified JEE (Advanced) 2026 out of 1,79,694 candidates, who appeared for both papers. Among the successful candidates, Arohi Deshpande emerged as the highest ranked female candidate with an All-India Rank of 77.
From roughly 6,450 girls qualifying in 2021 to more than 10,100 in 2026, JEE Advanced has seen one of the most significant gender shifts in its history. The trend suggests that the debate is increasingly moving away from capability and toward participation, confidence and access. The data now shows that girls are entering the IIT pipeline in record numbers and succeeding at their highest rates ever.
Source: Tribune India
